President Vance are standing by Hegseth despite the swirling controversy over his handling of the Defense Department.

Last month, after news broke that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was using Signal to discuss sensitive military operations in violation of Pentagon policy, one of his closest military aides made an unusual inquiry to the Defense Department’s chief information officer: Would they grant an exception so Hegseth could keep using Signal freely?

Kasper is the fifth Defense official to leave the agency in the past week amid investigations of internal leaks within the agency.

The Pentagon is facing turmoil following a series of leaks and internal controversies, leading to a significant leadership shakeup. Joe Kasper, Chief of Staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was recently removed from his position amidst rising tensions and ongoing investigations.